Money and Dogs
by AGKamon18
Summary: One day, Tom and Shizuo pay a visit to a very interesting client. This is no ordinary client, this is the leader of the fourth color gang hiding in the shadows of Ikebukuro, the Orange Belts. Follow this mysterious resident of Ikebukuro through a danger that is rapidly approaching their color gang!
1. Money and Dogs

**AGKamon:** I should be working on updating my FMA:B and Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfics, but I randomly wrote this oneshot and couldn't help but post it. So, start the random oneshot!

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Money and Dogs_  
_

_The Orange Belts._

Besides the Blue Squares, the Yellow Scarves, and the Dollars, it was rumored that there was a fourth color gang hiding in the shadows of Ikebukuro – even if the Dollars were colorless.

As the rumor goes, it is a gang that is led by a single individual – like most of these color gangs seemed to be – but this one was different; the Orange Belts were supposedly run by a young woman, and she apparently only allowed other girls into the group. According to suspicion, the last man who even attempted to get a peek at how they were run was kicked out – with his butt kicked twice as hard – before he could even fully open the door.

_Inu_.

It was Japanese for 'dog,' and that was all anyone knew about the leader. She was always with at least one of those animals; the few who've seen her – and the even fewer who have seen her more than once – can admit to this. Apparently, it was almost always a different dog as well, as if the many strays that resided in the city tended to gravitate towards her.

And, because this was the only trait of hers that anyone could be sure about – the members of the Orange Belts wouldn't talk, obviously – she was known as _"Okane no Inu"_ around 'Bukuro.

_Okane_.

That was money, and she also seemed to have a lot of it.

The only thing that the Orange Belts would say about her was that whenever they needed money – as long as they had a good reason – she would give it to them, as long as they returned it in due time.

No one was really sure where the cash came from, but then again, no one really seemed to care. Hence, the "_Okane_" part of her nickname.

_"Okane no Inu."_

"Money Dog."

Of course, she would only loan her money to the members of the Orange Belts, and it was rumored that she didn't socialize with anyone but her gang members. However, this just wasn't _completely_ true, as there was one person – a man, at that – who was able to speak with a certain "Money Dog" on a fairly regular basis.

_Tom Tanaka._

He was a debtor and visited her often because she actually was loaned the money that she loaned out. Tom wasn't on bad terms with her – and this was probably a good thing – seeing as she always managed to pay back her loans on time. And because she was the leader of the Orange Belts – which was a gang – he didn't question her methods on getting the money back; it wasn't his business, and all he really cared about was getting back the money so he didn't have to get Shizuo involved.

He really _did not _want to see how she would react to Shizuo Heiwajima being in what she thought was her territory.

She didn't normally leave that area. Usually, her members – grateful for the protection and loans she rewarded to them – would run all her errands for her. There was a square of area – no one knew for sure how big it was, but they knew where it started and ended – that she patrolled every day with at least one dog by her side. For some reason, the animals seemed to flock to her.

He was beginning to think that she had some form of agoraphobia, where she was actually afraid of leaving her 'territory,' but he wasn't a psychologist – he was a debt collector – so what did he know?

_Today, Tom Tanaka made a trip to the territory of Ikebukuro's famous – but not as much so as the strongest man in Ikebukuro – Money Dog._

At first, he had thought that this would be the usual visit for him.

He'd come looking for the money she owed with the newspaper for that day as a peace offering to her – she didn't get out much after all – and she'd take the paper in return for the cash.

However, today was different because usually he managed to put the visit off until Shizuo had a day off – he'd messed up on his scheduling this time. It was either risk bringing Shizuo into her territory or have her payment be late. Either way, he'd probably walk out of there with a black eye, but he eventually decided that she be more angry with him if it was _his _fault that her normally on-time payment was late.

And so, he called Shizuo that morning and told him to pick up today's newspaper, saying that it was crucial he did so. He also assured Shizuo that the first job of the day would be easy.

Although Tom had said that, he wasn't sure how the city's _Okane no Inu _would react to another man besides himself in her territory. After all, it had taken a few years of him standing on the border and her simply handing the money to him from there before she allowed him in.

_Shizuo Heiwajima._

He was the strongest man in Ikebukuro, known for a fiery temper that was easily spiked by anything or anyone.

However, today, he hadn't been forced to toss any heavy objects as of yet, and that was usually a sign that he was going to have to sometime later. Not a day went by where Izaya or some whimpering mess of a man who owed a debt didn't anger him and the vending machines, trash cans, etc. didn't start flying.

His cell phone had rung early that morning; he'd barely been out of bed before he heard the ring tone echoing through his house. (It had taken a lot of willpower to _not _throw the phone somewhere else, which would have easily broken it to pieces.)

"Yeah?" His voice had been full of sleep that he'd wish that he could get within his reach, announcing just how tired he was.

"Hey, on your way to meet me, pick up today's newspaper, alright?" Tom had requested, sounding carefree and fairly relaxed as usual. He also sounded fully awake, and Shizuo didn't doubt that the dreadlocked man had probably been up for hours already.

"Sure, I guess I can. I need to buy a new pack of cigarettes anyway." Shizuo, holding the phone with one hand, headed to the bathroom – ready to take a shower that would hopefully awaken him a bit more.

"Hey, cheer up a bit, why don't 'ya? This first stop should be pretty easy." Although he'd said that, Shizuo noted that Tom's happiness sounded a little more forced than usual. As if he wasn't completely sure of that fact.

"Hm." True to his nature, Shizuo had simply grunted in response, too tired and not caring enough to think up an actual sentence. Hearing a faint sigh on the other end, Tom spoke up again.

"Well, see 'ya later then. Be sure not to forget that newspaper." With that, the call was ended, and Shizuo set the phone on the coffee table he passed by it, having no need or want to take it into the bathroom with him.

_Glasses._

Fiddling with the bow that went with his usual suit – a bartender's outfit given to him by his younger brother years before – Shizuo grabbed the pair of blue-tinted glasses he'd set on the nightstand last night. Quickly snatching up his phone, wallet, and keys as he walked past them, Shizuo left his small apartment for the day.

The young blond man's first stop was a convenience store across the street from his apartment building, wanting to buy himself some cigarettes that would hopefully last him the whole day. And a newspaper. Admittedly, he was a bit curious about Tom's request, but he didn't question the man. He obviously had his reasons, and the man had been nice enough to allow Shizuo to continue working for him after so long – so he saw no need to pry about it.

Absentmindedly, he picked out a newspaper to give to Tom later and bought himself a pack of cigarettes, immediately lighting one for himself as soon as he'd paid for the items and exited the small shop. After having living in his apartment for so long, the shop employees had come to anticipate his pretty much daily visits and always knew what brand he wanted by now. Unless, of course, they had hired someone new, but that didn't happen very often.

Feeling the nicotine wash through his veins as he tucked the paper under one arm, he headed to the spot where he commonly met Tom at a leisurely pace. He knew and was completely aware of how unhealthy this habit of his was, but he'd stopped caring for the most part. He'd started it because he'd heard that it relieved stress – which he tended to have a lot of – and just kept on it after finding out that it did make him feel a bit better.

Not that it helped at all with his temper.

_Coffee._

That was the scent that hit his nostrils when he approached Tom on the street corner, and he noticed that the man was holding a cup of the drink, steam floating up into the sky with the smoke from his cigarette.

"Hey," the blond greeted while handing the paper to his friend and coworker. The shorter man checked the front page briefly before nodding.

"Hey, thanks for gettin' this by the way." Not really one for words, Shizuo shrugged in reply, and Tom, knowing Shizuo well enough to expect his response, nodded again. Tom turned and began leading Shizuo to their first destination of the day.

"So, why'd you want me to get that?" Shizuo grunted, honestly curious what significance the newspaper held now, seeing as how Tom didn't spare it much of a glance.

"This woman we're visiting, it's become a bit of a tradition for me to bring her one each time I stop by to collect her money. I forgot to buy one when I got my coffee, and I know that you go to that store every morning, so I figured that it works."

"Hm." Shizuo plucked the cigarette out from between his lips and discarded it on the ground, stamping it out quickly; he was unsure whether to light up another one right away, or wait.

_Newspaper_.

She anticipated Tom Tanaka's visits because he brought them with him, and while her followers could do that as well, it somehow seemed different when he brought them. She suspected that it was because he had done it of his own accord when she hadn't asked him to; he'd done it as a peace offering between the two of them at first, and she respected that he was trying so hard. Bringing a newspaper that one day had evolved into a tradition of him bringing one each time he came around.

Speaking of which...

She looked at the clock to her side, realizing that he'd be arriving soon. Thus, she quickly finished the glass of orange juice she'd been drinking slowly and strolled over to the safe on the other side of the room, opening it in search of her money.

"Hm?" She almost thought that the money was gone for a moment there, soon realizing that she'd hidden it behind that box she was saving for a 'friend,' seeing as there had been a decent amount of robberies lately. Even though she kept all of her cash that was for Tom in the safe, there was always that little chance that someone could break the code.

Almost like clockwork, she heard the sound of dogs barking and looked up to see that the clock had struck eleven. With a pleasant smile growing on her lips, she opened the door to the warehouse that she called home and wandered into the open air. At once, a dog – this one being rather old-looking, with a graying muzzle and wavering stride – made it's way to stand at her side.

She didn't know why all the stray dogs in Ikebukuro seemed to find her wherever she went, but she didn't actually mind. It wasn't as if they ever asked for much; they kind of just wandered around. Sometimes the sick ones would come across her and she'd take care of them, or if she found a mother dog with some puppies, she'd hand over some food for them. Otherwise, it seemed that they just wanted a safe place to relax and some company from someone who wouldn't try to steal their food.

Leaning down to pat the aging canine, she smiled even wider when it nuzzled her hand with its wet and quite cold nose.

"Ah, _Inu_, it seems that you're working your usual magic on the dogs, eh?" She perked up at once upon hearing the only male voice that she seemed to welcome into her domain; however, her smile soon flipped itself into a frown once she noticed the tall, blond man standing behind Tom. Rising to her feet as she dusted off her pants, she silently pointed to the taller of the two while glaring pointedly at Tom.

It was a gesture that could easily be read as: "What is this person doing here?"

"Well, you see, _Inu_, this is Shizuo. I usually come around here on his days off, but today, it was either him coming with me or your payment being late. He won't hurt anyone, right, Shizuo?" Obviously looking for the blond to take the brunt of the woman's glare off him, Tom glanced at said blond, who was staring down at the elderly dog that was sniffing his pants.

"Yeah." Seeing the woman watching him like a hawk – as if he would pummel the defenseless animal into the ground for sniffing him – he bent down slightly to gently scratch behind the dog's ears before straightening up again.

Still silent, she handed the money to Tom, who was looking quite relieved at Shizuo figuring out how to prove that he wouldn't hurt anything to her, and took the newspaper at once. She quickly began flipping through the pages, obviously skipping over some articles in favor of reading others intently.

"So, _Inu_, are we good?" Tom questioned warily, honestly not wanting to walk out of here with a few bruises. Glancing up from the newspaper she was now intently focused on, she nodded, sending the debt collector a small smile as a "thanks for the paper. We're even now."

"Well, Shizuo, we can get going now. See 'ya next week, _Inu_." Now walking back to her warehouse, she gave the pair a wave with her free hand as she continued to look over the paper she'd been given.

"Huh, she doesn't talk much," Shizuo noted as they exited what was known as Orange Belt territory. He mentally made the comparison that she seemed to talk even less than him.

"That's true, but she is a nice girl. A little on a strange side, but nice nonetheless." Tom nodded in agreement to Shizuo's statement, throwing his now-empty coffee cup in a nearby trash bin.

"Hey, Shizu-chan~, who're visiting~?" Both of them flinched, for different reasons. For Tom, it was because he knew that the very trash bin he'd just thrown his discarded coffee cup in was going to start flying – along with the rest of the heavy objects in the vicinity. For Shizuo, the anger was now beginning to tint his vision in a red hue.

_"IZAAAAYYYYAAAAA!"_

And thus, the innocent trash can went flying as a black-haired man bounded away from the scene, laughing manically, and an angry blond man pursued him, tossing various objects as he continued sprinting.

Tom sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets as he slowly walked in the direction Shizuo had gone. It was no wonder why the two of them were always working so late.

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**AGKamon:** I hope I got everyone in character, seeing as it's my first time writing for Durarara!

Anyway, _Okane no Inu_ isn't the OC's name, nor was this supposed to be an OC/Character story, so any hints of romance were unintentional. In reality, this was my attempt at humor. I don't know if I'll continue writing anything involving _Okane no Inu_ because I really like her character, but there's so much I'm unsure about her.

Like, I can't decide whether she's mute or not. So, you readers and reviewers, I'm leaving that up to you.

Hope you enjoyed reading, and I ask that you please review.


	2. Pipes and Annoyances

**AGKamon:** Well, because my writers' block for my other two fics is still running rampant, I decided that this will be my resort for when I have the dreaded block because ideas for this little series of oneshots seem to randomly flow to me. Also, I still have no actual name for the _Okane no Inu._ Or age. Or really anything about her except that fact that she's probably mute, lives in a warehouse, possibly has some form of agoraphobia (according to Tom Tanaka), and runs the Orange Belts.

Anyway, Tom and Shizuo aren't in this one - although Tom is mentioned - because I was trying to figure out how _Inu_ interacts with Izaya.

I don't own Durarara! or any characters or events associated with it; I only own _Okane no Inu_ and her gang, the Orange Belts.

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Pipes and Annoyances

Ikebukuro's relatively famous Money Dog strolled the perimeter of her territory once again today. For a reason she couldn't place, her entire being felt on edge, as if someone was going to try invading her sanctuary. _Again_. She would've thought that the rumors flying around the city about the last person who tried that would scare all potential intruders away. Even though those same rumors were quite exaggerated.

After all, she'd only given the man a black eye and a bloody nose; she hadn't actually beat the crap out of him like most said.

Scratching behind the ears of the pair of canines following her as a form of reassurance, she continued to maneuver around the occasional piece of random debris left behind from the people who'd been here before her. She really should have cleared it up a while ago since she'd been living in this area of 'Bukuro for five years now, but with running the Orange Belts and trying to keep herself from falling into debt, the time to do so just couldn't be found.

And she couldn't ask her members to do such a task for her, this was something she should do on her own. Besides, they did enough for her as it is.

Hearing a growl sound from the throats of each of the dogs, she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand straight up. She really hoped this intruder didn't carry a gun; she had never found use for a weapon and preferred using her fists, but even she knew that she couldn't easily win a fight against someone with a gun.

"Ah~ Inu-chan~ it seems your little doggies have found me, eh~?" She flinched, instantly recognizing that voice and cursing its owner's existence, hoping he'd go away as she thought horrible things about him. It was such a shame that things never worked out that way.

She whirled around to face the voice, narrowing her eyes at the black-haired man before her, Izaya Orihara. Expectantly raising an eyebrow silently, she crossed her arms and tapped her foot, wanting him to give her a reason _not _to punch him. She'd been able to accomplish such an action a few times, but he _was _fast, so she didn't doubt that he'd probably be able to slither away like he usually did.

"Inu-chan, why are you so hostile towards me? Whatever did I do~?" He chuckled darkly after each sentence, informing her that he really didn't care about her silent threat or about why she wasn't his biggest fan. Breathing out some air in a sigh that didn't make a sound, she stepped forward - fists clenched tightly - and attempted to land a punch on the young man's face that probably would have caused a fairly severe nosebleed and a bruise that would last for a while.

Alas, her target bounded away - rather unlike the snake that he was - laughing the entire way.

"Aw~ Inu-chan, you're so _interesting_, but why won't you talk to me~?" Turning away from the annoying man, she continued on her patrol even though she now knew who'd been prickling her nerves. After all, Izaya didn't actually want to cause any harm to her, she suspected that he just wanted to annoy her. That was all he ever did when he came around; she didn't allow him in willingly, but she couldn't honestly find a way to keep him out.

When her annoyance came closer, one of the dogs barked, baring its teeth and sending Izaya bounding away again. He just seemed to randomly pop up when she was on patrol, and then he'd vanish before she made it back to the warehouse she called home. It was weird, she had to admit, but there was nothing she could do about it.

"It seems your doggies don't enjoy my company, Inu-chan~ What about _you_? Do I _bother _you~?" Stopping in place and turning her head to glare at him, she flicked his forehead, causing him to flinch slightly, before continuing on her way. As she walked, she grabbed an old-looking piece of pipe and wrote in the sand and dirt that covered what used to be cement.

'Yes you do, Izaya, now go away,' was what her words said.

"_Boy_, you sure are blunt, Inu-chan, but that's part of why you're so _interesting_~! Not to mention that I happen to find your silence and willpower to keep it so _amusing_, especially when you obviously want to say _something_. You _do _want to talk, _don't you_~?" Grip tightening on the pipe she was still holding, she swung it out to her side, not wanting to deal with a bleeding person in her territory but really wanting to scare Izaya away so he'd never come back.

"_Ow!_ Hey, that actually hurt, Inu-chan! What the _hell _was _that _for?" As she turned back to him, her mischievous grin quickly turned into a frown when she noticed that she'd somehow managed to actually land a hit.

How had she done _that? _Either way, Izaya was still bleeding, and she didn't want to deal with a possibly dead person on the property that she considered to be hers. After all, she'd heard from some of her unluckier followers that jail really wasn't a fun place to be, but she didn't want any proof of that.

Rolling her eyes, she yanked Izaya up by the arm and began dragging him towards her warehouse.

"Oh~! Never expected to hurt me, _did you_, Inu-chan~?" Silent as ever, she simply tugged a little harder on his arm and trudged more quickly through the lot that no one who didn't have permission - _except_ _Izaya_ - dared to venture through. She wasn't sure who was more of an idiot right now: Izaya for annoying her while she was holding something metal, or herself for using said metal object to hit something. No wonder she was so against using weapons unless completely necessary; they _always _caused more problems.

At last, after enduring who knows how long of Izaya ticking her off even further, she opened the door to the warehouse and shoved him through the entranceway before storming off to find some disinfectant and bandages. She really shouldn't be helping such an insufferable jerk, but she didn't like hurting people, especially when there was blood involved.

Hence why the man who tried to spy on an Orange Belts meeting only got a black eye and a bloody nose, she had threatened him with worse afterwards and was extremely happy when he ran away with his non-literal tail between his legs.

"Hey~ Inu-chan, can you hurry up~?" As she mentally complained about the slimy man probably settling himself at her kitchen table she thought that she _really _wished she didn't have to stay silent, just so she could tell him off - _just once. _

Gathering the piece of gauze, roll of medical tape, tissues, and disinfectant, she walked out of her bathroom, kicking the door open for herself before laying out the materials on the table. Sure enough, Izaya was sitting there with a line of blood on his forehead, his chin resting on his folded arms as he looked ready to fall asleep.

Then again, what if she'd given him a concussion?

Frowning more deeply than ever, she smacked him on the top of the head with one hand as she wet one of the tissues with the disinfectant she always had a steady supply of. Dabbing the substance on his injury and not caring when he cringed, she noticed that the cut wasn't as bad as she'd initially thought. Still, she had the supplies out, so she might as well finish what she was doing.

Izaya, seeming strangely toned down, drew circles on the table with his index finger as the young woman held the gauze to his forehead and used the medical tape to keep it in place.

Despite the irritation that she associated with him, the Money Dog didn't actually dislike Izaya, he just bothered her to no end. Once again pulling him to his feet, she proceeded to drag him circles around the large room, hoping he'd get the message so she wouldn't have to go through the trouble of finding a paper and a writing utensil to literally spell it out for him.

"Ah~ You're fearing I have a concussion, right?" he asked lazily. "Why don't you just let me call Shinra? He'll take care of this~"

Having heard her friend, Tom, mention this 'Shinra' before, she relented, hoping that this person would get Izaya away from her. She wasn't used to having him around for so long, and she didn't want him to gather that she held no bad feelings towards him, only irritation.

Holding out her hand, awaiting him to hand over his cell phone - which he did - she found her way to his list of phone numbers and eventually discovered a number which was labeled with name 'Shinra Kishitani' and pressed the call button. She held the phone out to Izaya again, who took it back and wandered aimlessly - stumbling a few times - around the room as he chattered to the person on the other end, explaining the situation in an extremely long and drawn-out explanation.

"Okay~ I'll be expecting her then, thanks Shinra~" With that, he snapped the phone shut and turned back to the _Okane no Inu_ with a grin and a nod in her direction before walking towards the door. Hoping that, even in his obviously confused state, Izaya had some idea of what he was doing, she only watched him from the doorway. He stood on the invisible border that separated her territory from the rest of Ikebukuro, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

Eventually, just as she was about to drag Izaya back inside, a figure in a black outfit riding an equally black motorcycle halted in front of him. Izaya mounted the bike, and the pair rode off to who knows where. And quite honestly, the Money Dog didn't care, she was just happy that she didn't have to deal with Izaya for the rest of the night.

Looking towards the clock, she let out another exhale of air; it was late, exceedingly so, and Tom was visiting early tomorrow. She had to check the safe to make sure her money was there, not to mention that she _did _need _some _sleep.

She glanced out the window, nodding at seeing that the dogs from earlier had gone back to whatever they usually did and weren't waiting for her for some reason, and then she headed up to the second floor of the warehouse.

Letting out a yawn as she settling into bed after changing into something more comfortable, she decided that tomorrow was going to be a really, _really_ long day.

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**AGKamon:** Yeah, I think I'm going to make this into a series of little oneshots - or something like that. But I have to say that I really do like writing for the Money Dog, and yes, _Okane no Inu_ and Money Dog will be swapped often; sometimes I'll call her one name, sometimes the other. Although, the people of Ikebukuro just call her _Inu_ - or in Izaya's case, Inu-chan - for short.

Anyway, thanks to **_Randompie_ **for reviewing and giving feedback on whether to make _Inu_ mute or not. I'm leaning towards her being mute, but I still want one more opinion on the issue.

Also, did I get Izaya in character?

So, review and I hope you enjoyed reading.


	3. Waking Up and Waking Up Again

**AGKamon: **Let me just warn all of you here, this one is really short. But, it actually starts the beginning of what may be a plot. Might be. I don't know; I just know that there's going to be more than one part to this oneshot.

Anyway, I don't own Durarara! or any part of it. I just own _Okane no Inu_ and her color gang, the Orange Belts.

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Waking Up and Waking Up Again

She knew that her morning wasn't starting out very well when she awoke to the sound of dogs barking. And the sound persisted. It kept going on and on, as if they were trying to alert her to something.

Something…

_Oh, well, crap in a bucket._

Groaning, she turned onto her side to stare at the clock. It was eleven in the morning. Was Tom coming today? She couldn't honestly remember, but then again, what _had _she been doing last night?

_Bang, bang, bang!_

She shot up straight - thinking she was hearing gunshots - but fell back once she realized that someone was pounding on the door.

"Hey, _Inu_, open up!" She recognized that voice and shot up once again, this time sliding out of her bed and searching for something to throw on over the clothes she was sleeping in. Grabbing a robe that one of the Orange Belts had given her some time ago, she pulled it on as she stumbled down the stairs.

As she walked past the front door, she grabbed the doorknob and flung the door open moodily. Obviously not saying a word to the debt collector standing in the doorway, she made her way to her safe.

"Something wrong, _Inu_?" he wondered, seeing how angry she seemed. Usually, the _Okane no Inu_ was in a fairly decent mood when he had stopped by. He hadn't even brought Shizuo this time.

She stared at him from over her shoulder as she twisted the padlock on the safe, already knowing the combination by heart and having no need to watch herself turn it.

Tom, not daring to close the door in case she chased him out for whatever reason, noticed the bags under her eyes. Those had always been there, but they seemed particularly deep today, as if she'd been up much later than usual. Thus, Tom realized that she must have been preoccupied last night and had forgotten to set the alarm, resulting in her grumpy and tired-looking current self.

The Money Dog turned away from him, knowing that he now understood her grouchiness, and peered into the now-opened safe, searching for the money she had surely put in there two nights ago for him. Eventually finding the wad of cash behind a package that would've looked suspicious to most, she pulled it out and quickly counted the money, wanting to be sure that all of it was still there. When she was satisfied, she handed to her friend.

Nodding, he also counted the money, handing her a newspaper - which she uncharacteristically tossed in the direction of her kitchen table, intending to read it later. Admittedly, he found that to be strange because she usually started flipping through the pages right away, but he blamed it on her obvious lack of sleep and suspected that she was going to head back to her bedroom when he left.

"All accounted for…hm, somethin' happen last night, _Inu_?" He looked at her through his glasses and awaited her reaction. She gave one of her trademark silent sighs and rubbed at her eyes before searching around the room for something to write on. He also sighed at her discombobulated state and handed her his notebook and pen; he had another job to get to, but he _did_ want to know what - or who - was bothering her. He counted her as something between a client and a friend, but they were close enough that he was a bit concerned.

Quickly, she scribbled something down with the writing utensil before giving it back to him.

'Izaya was being annoying, and I somehow ended up hitting him with a pipe. I'm not as fond of hurting people as the rumors say, so I attempted to treat it, but he simply continued to frustrate me with every passing second. I finally called that Shinra I've heard you mention before; Izaya talked to him and ended up leaving with someone on a black bike. It was two-thirty in the morning by the time I got to sleep.'

"Of course it was Izaya's fault…" Tom deadpanned, not really surprised at all. After all, Izaya always did have a knack for causing trouble for anyone around him. She nodded as she raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to leave so she could attempt to catch up on her lost sleep. He quickly caught the not-so-subtle threat of 'get out before I hit you' before she could act on it.

"I'll be going now, get some sleep, okay?" With that, Tom gave her a brief wave as he left and closed the door behind him. She gave a silent sigh of relief as she headed back upstairs, ready and willing to fall back into the comfort of her bed.

She shed the robe, throwing it somewhere, as she crawled under her covers, snuggling blissfully into them. Closing her eyes, she exhaled deeply and hoped for a restless sleep.

And that's when she heard someone banging on her front door frantically.

"_Inu, Inu_, Tsuri's been hurt!"

For the second time that morning, Ikebukuro's Money Dog shot up out of her bed in alarm.

_Tsuri wore an Orange Belt like she did._

* * *

**AGKamon: **I just starting typing random words into Google Translate to get Tsuri's name. Tsuri = tree. Also, I'm not telling you anything about the big picture between Tsuri getting hurt. But, just think, _Inu_ runs the Orange Belts, and Tsuri is in the Orange Belts. Which is a gang.

Anyone catching my drift yet? I'm not typing anymore.

Anyway, thanks _Randompie_ for putting this set of small fics on their favorite and alert lists, and for reviewing again. I'm glad that I was able to capture Izaya's trollness accurately. Yes, I'm aware that trollness isn't a word, but it should be.

The next installment will be out whenever, but hopefully it's soon so I don't keep anyone waiting.


	4. Interesting and Fun

**AGKamon:** Hey look, another short chapter. Well, it's not as short as the last one, but it's still short. And there's more plot-building.

Anyway, I don't own Durarara! or anything related to it. I only own the Okane no Inu, the Orange Belts, and any OC Orange Belts that may show up in the course of this fic.

* * *

Interesting and Fun

To say that Tom Tanaka was surprised when Ikebukuro's Money Dog passed him while he was walking home after work would be a complete understatement, seeing as he'd never even _heard _of her ever leaving the territory she thought of as hers, let alone _seen _it. Nonetheless, he sighed deeply and continued walking in the direction of his residence; the _Okane no Inu_, despite her seemingly nonthreatening appearance, was a capable gang leader, as far as he could tell, and he was sure that she could take care of herself.

Though, even though he'd thought that, he couldn't help but be curious about what was obviously wrong. She wouldn't leave Orange Belt territory unless something was amiss, but he shrugged to himself and figured he'd ask her about it next time he stopped by next week to collect her usual payment.

She was a gang leader, and he didn't want to get involved in her business, gangs were _almost_ always trouble to deal with, but that didn't mean he couldn't lend a willing ear. Or, in her case, a willing pair of eyes to read whatever she had to write. The Money Dog herself hadn't informed him of her mute condition, but he was fairly sure that he was correct in assuming that she was unable to speak. After all, there wasn't another logical reason why she never seemed to speak.

He didn't particularly care either way; she was a reliable client and a decent person, and that was enough for him to consider her somewhat of his friend. After all, it was obvious that - no matter how hostile she sometimes acted - the _Okane no Inu_ thought of him as one of her friends as well, and he honestly prided himself on being what was apparently the only male she didn't react completely violently towards.

Not that it really meant much in this town.

* * *

Meanwhile, a certain troublesome informant stared at his computer screen, scanning through information and discarding some of the files from his thoughts while focusing on others. He just needed to compile a few more pieces of data before he could set all of it aside and move on to what he was _really_ interested in as of late.

That thing was the mysterious piece he'd added to his game board recently. A being who, while they preferred to stay on the sidelines, could quite possibly shake things up as much as someone like Mikado Ryūgamine could. The Money Dog, a secretive young woman who he wanted to know more about; there were _so many_ ways that she could affect his game, but he needed something to manipulate her with. Something to hold over her head and taunt her with.

Unfortunately, _that _precisely was the hard part, seeing as no one he'd spoken to knew anything about her that he could work with. Not her name, birthplace, _nothing_. It was utterly frustrating, he thought grumpily as he copied the new facts he'd discovered to a flash drive; he could print hardcopies later for his client, but it wasn't a pressing matter now.

He leaned back in his swivel chair and stared at the search engine he'd opened, as if something brilliant would enter itself into the box, but all he had on the _Okane no Inu _was her physical appearance and how she refused to talk.

_Although…_

He grinned at realizing the fact he'd been missing all this time; she _had _to be mute. Closing the useless search engine and opening a folder on his desktop, he typed up that next piece of information on the document that was mostly empty aside from a fairly detailed description of the Money Dog's appearance. It wasn't a case breaker, but it was big, and if he could simply find out a little more, then perhaps he could find out the true identity of the leader of the Orange Belts.

The black-haired man let out an obnoxious laugh as he jumped up from his sitting position, his almost crimson eyes traveling away from the computer in favor of looking out the window that showed the expanse of the city below him. _Humans_…they were such _interesting_ little creatures; once you found a weakness, you could easily break them down and use them for whatever you wanted.

Grinning wickedly, the man pressed his palms to the glass, attempting to see the humans down on the ground, hoping to catch a glance of something that fascinated him.

"_Well_, _now_, this is going to get quite _fun_, _isn't it~?"_

With that, he pulled on his fur-trimmed jacket and set out for Orange Belt territory; perhaps with knowing about the Money Dog's mute condition, he could coax her into revealing something about herself.

* * *

At about that time, Ikebukuro's _Okane no Inu _was carrying a large amount of medical supplies from her bathroom to her kitchen, hearing the two Belts conversing quietly.

"W-why the _hell _did you _have _bring the leader? I could've taken care of myself…_idiot_." Her ears recognized that voice as the one belonging to the Orange Belt that had been injured, Tsuri. She had only joined rather recently and had been taken under the wing of the young woman who'd came to the Money Dog for help, Deiji.

"No, you couldn't have. Besides, _Inu _was nearby, and she's always willing to help; you should learn to turn to others when you need it. And _stop insulting me_, I'm just trying to help you." Right then, their leader entered the room, setting the bandages, disinfectant, and other necessary equipment on the table before they fell from her arms. Instantly grabbing the rag and disinfectant, she moved over to Tsuri's side and began cleaning the various wounds scattered across her being.

The eldest of the three young woman frowned as she dabbed at the injuries; these wounds had a certain brutality that she recognized and wished she didn't. Everything about Tsuri's attack reminded her of the Yellow Scarves, and she frowned even more deeply, she'd thought that the Belts and the Scarves had put away their differences with the last brawl.

"Is something wrong, _Inu_?" Deiji asked her quietly, hovering around her as if she wanted to help and didn't know what to do. Trying to clean a knife slash near Tsuri's ankle, the Money Dog pointed to her neck with her free hand; it was a sign that was associated with the Yellow Scarves.

"What…what does that mean?" Tsuri inquired. Of course, since Tsuri hadn't been around the Orange Belts for very long, she didn't know all the hand signals that the leader used to communicate with her underlings.

"…It means she thinks this was the work of the Yellow Scarves, right?" Reaching for and grabbing the bandages sitting on the edge of the wooden table, the Money Dog nodded in response, seeing Deiji wring her hands together anxiously at seeing it. She'd been around since the gang was formed, and so, she knew that the Yellow Scarves and the Orange Belts had never seen eye to eye.

"Hey…I _can _do that, you know…" Tsuri offered uncertainly, trailing off and quieting herself at seeing her superior smile at her, silently assuring her that it was no trouble.

_Knock, knock, knock-knock knock-knock, knock, knock-knock…_

At hearing the annoying pounding on the door, the _Okane no Inu _sighed in her own special way and handed the bandages to Deiji, who she knew had enough experience to correctly treat the wounds. She was already aware of who would be standing there.

_Knock-knock, kno-_

"I was just beginning to think that you _weren't_ going to let me in, _Inu-chan~_" She blocked the doorway when Izaya Orihara attempted to walk past her and enter the warehouse she called home. "_Aw_~ come _on_~"

With a simple shake of the head, Ikebukuro's Money Dog pushed her annoyance away from the passageway and exited the building, closing the door behind her. With an expectant eyebrow raised and her arms crossed in front of her chest, she stared at the informant, waiting for him to explain why the _hell _he was here.

He'd been here yesterday; he _never _visited twice in a week, let alone in two days.

"_Well_, I came across some information that I simply _had _to share with you, so I ventured _all the way _here to tell you. Aren't you grateful in the _least~?_" He smirked at seeing the young gang leader's completely unimpressed and uninterested look, and she rolled her eyes at his predictability. It seemed as though there was nothing she did that didn't amuse him in _some way_.

Not caring about whatever he'd discovered, she turned to go back inside and see how Deiji was fairing in wrapping Tsuri's injuries.

"_What~? _Are my efforts not going to be rewarded~?" She looked back at him just in time to him feign being shot through the heart. "I'm _so_ hurt, _Inu-chan~!_"

Having had enough of Izaya's antics to last a month, the _Okane no Inu _went back inside her warehouse and slammed the door noisily behind her, and the young man heard the clear click of her locking the door behind her, and he laughed.

"Ah, _Inu-chan~ _all I wanted to say is that I know you're mute!" He chuckled again. "But I _guess _you don't care; I'll be heading home~"

Kicking pebbles and various forms of trash out of his way as he strolled back in the direction of his temporary residence, Izaya frowned. Admittedly, it'd been a long shot, but he was hoping that she'd slip up once. _Just once _so he could dig up something that could be of use. In midst of his thinking, his foot hit something that didn't budge, and he looked up from the ground he'd been blankly watching in confusion.

"Huh, well, this is new…" he trailed off, studying the rock that was in his way. It didn't seem particularly _special _or anything, but large rocks like this weren't exactly common in a city like Ikebukuro, so Izaya found it to be curious enough to grant more than a glance.

And he wasn't disappointed.

"And this is _interesting_~" He grinned widely and brushed his hand over the stone surface, fingertips running over the engravings, as he read them aloud to himself. Quickly digging out the pen and notepad he'd stuck in his pocket in case Inu-chan said anything, he wrote down the words carved into the rock.

Finally, _finally_, he could have some information that he could work with, something that he could use to trip up the leader of the Orange Belts. Depositing the two items back into his pocket, he cackled loudly, the eerie sound echoing in the quickly descending night.

"This is _wonderful_, everything's getting to be _so much fun~!_"

* * *

**AGKamon:** Izaya's incredibly fun to write, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to fit Shizuo in sometime soon since he_ is_ my favorite. Also, I hope that someone other than Tom, Shizuo, Izaya, and my OC's will appear soon - _maybe_.

Anyway, thanks for _**Randompie** _for reviewing once again, to _**LadyNoLuck** _for putting this fic on their favorites list and their alert list, as well as for putting me on their author alert list~!


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